The Basics of Hemophilia

Nursing Working Group

National Hemophilia Foundation

National Hemophilia Foundation

Mission Statement

The National Hemophilia Foundation is dedicated to finding the cures for inherited bleeding disorders and to preventing and treating the complications of these disorders—through education, advocacy, and research.

Hemostatic System

• Blood vessels

• Platelets

• Plasma coagulation system

• Proteolytic or Fibrinolytic system

How Bleeding Stops

• Vasoconstriction

• Platelet plug formation

• Clotting cascade activated to form fibrin

clot

Normal Hemostasis

Hoffman et al. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 1998;9(suppl 1):S61.

X II

IIXIX

TF-Bearing Cell

Activated Platelet

Platelet

TF

VIIIa Va

VIIIaVa

Va

VIIa

TF VIIa Xa IIa

IXV Va

II

VIII/vWF

VIIIa

IXa X

IXa

IXaVIIaXa

IIa

IIa

Xa

Types of Bleeding Disorders

• Hemophilia A (factor VIII deficiency)

• Hemophilia B (factor IX deficiency)

• von Willebrand Disease (vWD)

• Other

What is Hemophilia?

• Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding

disorder in which there is a deficiency

or lack of factor VIII (hemophilia A) or

factor IX (hemophilia B)

Inheritance of Hemophilia

• Hemophilia A and B are X-linked recessive disorders

• Hemophilia is typically expressed in males and carried

by females

• Severity level is consistent between family members

• ~30 % of cases of hemophilia are new mutations

Detection of Hemophilia

• Family history

• Symptoms– Bruising

– Bleeding with circumcision

– Muscle, joint, or soft tissue bleeding

• Hemostatic challenges– Surgery

– Dental work

– Trauma, accidents

• Laboratory testing

Degrees of Severity of Hemophilia

• Normal factor VIII or IX level = 50-150%

• Mild hemophilia

– factor VIII or IX level = 6-50%

• Moderate hemophilia

– factor VIII or IX level = 1-5%

• Severe hemophilia

– factor VIII or IX level = <1%

• Hemophilia A: 20.6 per 100,000 males

– Severe: 50-60%

• Hemophilia B: 5.3 per 100,000 males

– Severe: 44%

U. S. Incidence of Hemophilia

Types of Bleeds

• Joint bleeding - hemarthrosis

• Muscle hemorrhage

• Soft tissue

• Life threatening-bleeding

• Other

Joint or Muscle Bleeding

• Symptoms– Tingling or bubbling sensation

– Stiffness

– Warmth

– Pain

– Unusual limb position

Life-Threatening Bleeding

• Head / Intracranial– Nausea, vomiting, headache, drowsiness, confusion, visual changes,

loss of consciousness

• Neck and Throat– Pain, swelling, difficulty breathing/swallowing

• Abdominal / GI– Pain, tenderness, swelling, blood in the stools

• Iliopsoas Muscle– Back pain, abdominal pain, thigh tingling/numbness, decreased hip

range of motion

Other Bleeding Episodes

• Mouth bleeding

• Nose bleeding

• Scrapes and/or minor cuts

• Menorrhagia

Complications of Bleeding

• Flexion contractures

• Joint arthritis / arthropathy

• Chronic pain

• Muscle atrophy

• Compartment syndrome

• Neurologic impairment

Treatment of Hemophilia

• Replacement of missing clotting protein– On demand

– Prophylaxis

• DDAVP / Stimate

• Antifibrinolytic Agents– Amicar

• Supportive measures– Icing

– Immobilization

– Rest

Factor VIII Concentrate

• Intravenous infusion– IV push

– Continuous infusion

• Dose varies depending on type of bleeding– Ranges from 20-50+ units/kg. body weight

• Half-life 8-12 hours

• Each unit infused raises serum factor VIII level by 2 %

Factor IX Concentrate

• Intravenous infusion– IV push

– Continuous infusion

• Dose varies depending on type of bleeding – Ranges from 20-100+ units/kg. body weight

• Half-life 12-24 hours

• Each unit infused raises serum factor IX level by 1%

History of Clotting Factor Concentrates

Prior to 1950: whole blood

1952: Hemophilia A distinguished from B

1950-1960: FFP and Cryoprecipitate

Early 1970s: Commercial plasma-derived factor

concentrates

Mid-late 1970’s: Home infusion practices

1981: First AIDS death in the Hemophilia community

History of Clotting Factor

Concentrates (cont’d)Mid-1983: Factor concentrates heat treated for hepatitis

1985: All products heat treated for viral inactivation

1987: Monoclonal factor concentrates

1992: Recombinant factor VIII

1994: Recombinant factor IX-albumin free

2001: 2nd generation recombinant factor VIII

Infusions of Factor Concentrates

• Verify product with physician order.

• Dose may be +/- 10% ordered.

• Do not waste factor even if the dose is not exactly what is ordered.

• Reconstitute factor per package insert.

• Infusion rate per package insert or pharmacy instructions.

• Document lot number, expiration date, time of infusion, and exact dose given in units.

Prophylaxis

• Scheduled infusions of factor concentrates to prevent

most bleeding

• Frequency: 2 to 3 times weekly to keep trough factor VIII

or IX levels at 2-3%

• Types

– primary prophylaxis

– secondary prophylaxis

• Use of IVAD necessary in some patients

DDAVP (Desmopressin acetate)

• Synthetic vasopressin

• Method of action -– release of stores from endothelial cells raising factor VIII and vWD

serum levels

• Administration -– Intravenous

– Subcutaneously

– Nasally (Stimate)

• Side effects

Stimate

• How supplied– 1.5 mg./ ml (NOT to be confused with DDAVP nasal spray for nocturnal

enuresis)

– 2.5 ml bottle - delivers 25 doses of 150 mcg.

• Dosing

– Every 24-48 hours prn

– <50 kg. body weight - 1 spray (150 mcg.)

– >50 kg. body weight - 2 sprays (300 mcg.)

Amicar(epsilon amino caproic acid)

• Antifibrinolytic

• Uses– Mucocutaneous bleeding

• Dosing: 50 - 100 mg./kg. q. 6 hours

• Side effects

• Contraindications– Hematuria

Complications of Treatment

• Inhibitors/Antibody development

• Hepatitis A

• Hepatitis B

• Hepatitis C

• HIV

Inhibitors

• Definition – IgG antibody to infused factor VIII or IX concentrates, which

occurs after exposure to the extraneous VIII or IX protein.

• Prevalence– 20-30% of patients with severe hemophilia A

– 1-4% of patients with severe hemophilia B

Hepatitis

• Hepatitis A- small risk of transmission

– Vaccination recommended

• Hepatitis B - no transmissions since 1985

– Vaccination recommended

• Hepatitis C - no transmissions since 1990

– ~90% of patients receiving factor concentrates prior to 1985 are HCV

antibody positive

Human Immunodeficiency Virus

• No transmissions of HIV through factor

concentrates since 1985 due to viral inactivation

procedures

• HIV seropositive rate -– 69.6% of patients with severe hemophilia A receiving factor

concentrates prior to 1985

– 48.6% of patients with severe hemophilia B receiving factor

concentrates prior to 1985

Nursing Considerations

• Factor replacement to be given on time

• Laboratory monitoring

• Increase metabolic states will increase factor requirements

• Factor coverage for invasive procedures

• Document - infusions, response to treatment

• Avoid NSAIDS

• Utilize Hemophilia Center staff for questions / problems

Psychosocial Issues

• Guilt

• Challenge of hospitalizations

• Control issues

• Financial / insurance challenges

• Feeling different / unable to do certain activities

• Counseling needs

Hemophilia Treatment Center Team

Members• Patient / Family

• Hematologist

• Nurse

• Social Worker

• Physical Therapist

• Orthopedist

• Primary Care

• Infectious Disease

• Genetics

• Pharmacy

• Dental

• Hepatology

Role of Hemophilia Treatment

Centers• State-of-the-art medical treatment for persons with

hemophilia through the life span

• Education

• Research

• Outreach

• Model of comprehensive care for chronic disease